Pence Returns, Giants Ready To Face Mets
(AP) -- New York Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard will face one of the best hitting teams on the road when he attempts to rebound from his first dreadful performance
in the majors.
The San Francisco Giants also might get Hunter Pence back in the lineup for Tuesday night's series opener at Citi Field.
After putting up a 1.82 ERA in his first four games, Syndergaard was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings in a 7-2 loss in San Diego last Tuesday.
"It was definitely a frustrating start for me because I felt like I had some of the best stuff I had all year," said the right-hander, who had 10 strikeouts and walked none. "I just didn't get the job done."
Syndergaard (2-3, 3.77 ERA) is getting some extra rest because Dillon Gee started Wednesday's finale in San Diego before being moved to the bullpen.
He'll take on a Giants team averaging 5.1 runs while hitting .287 in 28 road games. San Francisco (32-26) is 16-12 away from home and 16-14 in its own park, where it's batting .257 and averaging 3.2 runs.
The Giants have batted. 316 and plated 89 runs while winning 10 of its last 13 road games. San Francisco had double-digit hit totals in all three games this weekend in Philadelphia but just missed a sweep, falling 6-4 on Sunday.
New York native Joe Panik went 3 for 5 to extend his hit streak to 12 games. He's batting .388 during that run and .336 while hitting safely in 30 of his last 32 contests.
"I've just tried to be consistent with my stroke and not try to do too much," said Panik, who played at St. John's.
Pence sat out the series in Philadelphia because of an ailing left wrist. The outfielder, who missed the first six weeks of this season with a broken left forearm, is batting .343 in nine road games and .222 in his nine at home.
Pence is 9 for 24 with seven extra-base hits and eight RBIs in his past six games against the Mets (31-27). The Giants have won seven of eight versus New York and 11 of their last 15 at Citi Field, where Mets fans conceived the infamous Hunter Pence signs last August.
Buster Posey is hitting .340 with six homers in 25 career games against the Mets.
New York is among the majors' leaders in home ERA at 2.93 compared with a 3.90 mark on the road, and Syndergaard has allowed one run in 13 1-3 innings while winning each of his first two starts in New York.
He'll pitch opposite Chris Heston (5-4, 4.29), who has often experienced difficulties lately no matter where he's started. The right-hander was charged with five runs in 3 2-3 innings in a 7-4 home loss to Pittsburgh last Tuesday - the third time in four starts he permitted at least five runs.
Heston, who has never faced the Mets, has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four road starts.
New York's Michael Cuddyer, riding a 12-game hit streak, is 10 for 28 (.357) in his last seven against the Giants.
Updated June 8, 2015
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